Mars One Sonia Van Meter's Husband Speaks Out; How Does He Feel About Wife's One Way Trip To Space?
How would you feel, if you're wife was selected to take a one-way trip to Mars?
That is a question Virginia's Jason Stanford is still grappling with months after discovering his wife, Sonia Van Meter, had beat the odds and was selected as one of the final 100 candidates for Mars One's attempt to colonize the Red Planet. The father of two explained the situnation on Texas Monthy.
In ten years, Standford could see "until death do us part" morph into "until rocket launch do us part," and his sons could see their stepmother for the last time.
As the pool for the final 24 astronauts keeps narrowing, Standford and Van Meter have endured more interviews than one would like about their sex life, how Van Meter's departure will affect their marriage, whether or not Mars One is the scam former contender Dr. Joseph Roche made it out to be, and if allowing anyone and everyone to apply to the mission is a good idea.
Invasive questions aside, Standford is sure of three things.
One, Mars One is not a scam. The only money the couple has ever handed over the Dutch endeavor was a roughly $37 application fee.
Two, he has no idea how he feels about his wife leaving forever, although he will echo the words of former astronaut's wives and say he is "proud, happy, and thrilled."
Three, he knows that his wife, at least, has the "right stuff." From deftly fielding an onslaught of interviews to holding an unwavering faith in humanity and it's limitless potential, Van Meter is the 21st Century John Glenn. Not everyone is suited to colonize another planet, a fact engineer and Mars One creator Bas Lansdorp is well aware of, but as the pool of hopefuls gets ever smaller, the contestants that shine the brightest will come to the fore. When they do, they will have a decade to receive the requisite training needed to set up shop far from our own pale blue dot.
Will Van Meter actually make it to space? That question remains unanswered as selection continues. The current 100 will be cut to 40 following a series of group dynamic challenges. Those 40 will drop to 30 after nine days of isolation training. That 30 will fall to two dozen following a rigorous four-hour Mars suitability interview, the last step in determining if a candidate is ready to travel eight months through space to work in close quarters with three other people for the rest of their life as they eating algae and insects while wait for four more astronauts to arrive each year.
What do you think of Standford's situation? Sound off in the comments below! Click the video below to see what Van Meter has to say about the whole affair.
